International arrest warrants have been issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and a senior Hamas commander, accusing them of war crimes linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
On Thursday, the judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) released warrants for arrest for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as Hamas's military commander.
In a statement, it is revealed that the pre-trial tribunal dismissed Israel's claims to the court's jurisdiction and issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
Following the warrants were released, Netanyahu and Gallant are at risk of arrest if they travel abroad
ICC also issued the arrest warrants for Mohammed Deif, although the Israeli military claimed that the commander was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July.
According to the judges, the arrest warrant was issued on “reasonable grounds” as they purportedly had "criminal responsibility" for the ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity amid the conflict.
However, both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.
Additionally, the Israeli prime minister’s office slammed the ICC’s decision and labelled it “antisemitic”, on the other hand, Hamas stated the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant would mark an "important historical precedent".
Notably, whether these warrants would be implemented or not, is now the responsibility of the ICC, 124 member states, which exclude Israel or its ally, the United States.
